Hello there! I'm Dr. Vinifera, or "Vinny" for short. Ask me your toughest wine questions, from the technical aspects of winemaking to the fine points of etiquette. I hope you find my answers educational and even amusing. Looking for a particular answer? Check my archive and my FAQs. You can also follow me on Twitter: @AskDrVinny.

Dear Dr. Vinny,

After decanting a bottle of wine, is it OK to pour it back into the bottle in order to take it to a friend's house?

—Barry, Bethesda, Md.

Dear Barry,

Yes, it's OK. But if there's a bit of sediment left in the bottle, you might want to give it a quick rinse first, before pouring the wine back in. I'll use water until all the sediment seems to be gone (although I suppose you could sacrifice some wine to the cause, too). Then I drain the bottle as best I can before pouring the wine back in. Funnels are extremely helpful for this.

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